ACC Standings (as of 12/19/2012):
No. 1 Duke 9-0: After a November gauntlet with wins over three then top-five squads, the Blue Devils have experienced a very light schedule as of late. As good as Duke has been so far, its ceiling may be even higher. A healthy Marshall Plumlee should provide immense help on the glass, which does not bode well for the rest of the league.
Maryland 9-1: Since falling to then-No. 3 Kentucky in the opening game of the season, the Terrapins have been rolling, granted they have not faced a ranked foe since the Wildcats. Averaging 13.9 points and 8.8 rebounds, 7-foor-1 center Alex Len is one of the premier players in the conference and is projected to be a top-five NBA draft pick this summer.
Miami 7-1: Outside of a puzzling loss to Florida Gulf Coast, the 'Canes have performed as expected. Its best win to date is over then-No. 13 Michigan State. Big man Reggie Johnson eats up space and the stat sheet, averaging a double double.
North Carolina 8-2: The young Tar Heels are stilling trying to establish their identity as head coach Roy Williams has been experimenting with a wide array of lineups so far this year. Defensive lapses have been an issue lately—giving up 87 and 84 points to ECU and UAB, respectively. If the Tar Heels are going to compete for the ACC crown, they desperately need sophomore forward James Michael McAdoo—who did not start in the team's last game—to elevate his game.
No. 25 North Carolina State 8-2: The verdict is still out on the Wolfpack—are they a disciplined enough to make a late run in March? Or will they be susceptible to a first-weekend tournament upset? It appears N.C. State is starting to gel. Senior big men Richard Howell and C.J. Leslie are a load down low. The duo averages 27.6 points and 17.3 rebounds per game. Given the lack of inside depth, Keeping those two out of foul trouble will be paramount against top-flight competition. Versatile freshman forward TJ Warren—who averages 13.6 points per contest—continues to improve and looks to be the biggest challenger to Duke's Rasheed Sulaimon for ACC ROY.
Virginia 8-2: After dropping two of its first three games to mid majors, Tony Bennett's team has responded well by winning seven in a row, which includes an impressive road win over Wisconsin in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge. If the Cavs hope to make some noise in ACC play, they will need to find increase their scoring output of just 63.2 points per game, which is the worst scoring average in the conference.
Virginia Tech 8-2: One of the surprise teams in the ACC, the Hokies have an impressive win over No. 15 Oklahoma State on their resume. Scoring the basketball has been the team's strong suit—Va. Tech tallies 81.3 points per game, which is good for 15th best in the nation. One of the best pure scorers in the country, Senior guard Erick Green leads the charge offensively at 24.8 points per outing, the second highest average in all of college basketball next to Lehigh's C.J. McCollum.
Georgia Tech 7-2: A 7-2 start is promising for a team that finished 11-20 last year. Perhaps even better, Georgia Tech will add Kentucky transfer Stacey Poole Jr.—a 6-foot-4 guard. He'll provide some scoring prowess and athleticism as the squad's schedule picks up considerably once ACC play commences.
Clemson 6-3: Despite coming up short in both contests, the Tigers were no pushovers in losses to top-20 teams Gonzaga and Arizona. Senior big men Milton Jennings and Devin Booker are forces on the block. And sophomore forward K.J. McDaniels has proven to be one of the league's breakout players. After averaging 3.9 points last season, the 6-foot-6 forward leads the team in scoring at 11.9 points per game.
Florida State 6-4: The Seminoles are one of the biggest disappointments in the ACC so far this year with losses to the likes of South Alabama, Mercer and Maine. Florida State will need to knock off several of the top teams in the ACC if it hopes to return to the NCAA tournament this season. One of the few bright spots for the squad has been preseason All-ACC selection Michael Snaer. The senior guard averages 14.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
Boston College 5-5: Though improved from last season, a roster with sparse talent has limited the Eagles this season. Boston College is the second worst rebounding team in the ACC at 34.3 boards per contest. Shooting from long-range has been equally problematic for the Eagles too; they average just 30.3 percent from downtown, which is the lowest percentage in the conference.
Wake Forest 5-5: It's been a tough go for Demon Deacon head coach Jeff Bzedelik, who might be on the hot seat after this season. Wake Forest has struggled mightily against pedestrian competition, losing to Radford, Mercer, Nebraska, High Point and Seton Hall so far. Much of the struggles can be attributed to the team's rebounding woes at a meager 31.3 boards per game, which ranks 310th overall in college basketball and the worst in the ACC.
#AskChron questions:
@yaboytfitz asked, "Who will be Duke's toughest remaining test? The talented NC State team or Maryland with a tough matchup in Alex Len? #AskChron"
The Chronicle: Both will be very formidable matchups and likely the toughest tests Duke faces in the ACC, but I personally believe that N.C. State will be a slightly tougher contest, especially on the road. I think the overall size of the Wolfpack's starting five—Lorenzo Brown (6-foot-5), Rodney Purvis (6-foot-4), Scott Wood (6-foot-7), C.J. Leslie (6-foot-9) and Richard Howell (6-foot-9)—is something that could really bother Duke, a team that on average gets out-rebounded by one each game so far this year.
@jfausold asked, "@dukebasketball Was NC State overrated at the start of the year? #AskChron"
TC: Most will admit that the preseason expectations for the Wolfpack—a team that was wildly inconsistent until late in the year last season—were a bit too lofty coming into the year.
That being said, there is no denying that this N.C. State team has the talent to not only win the ACC, but also make a deep run in March. The 'Pack had an admirable showing on the road in a hard-fought loss to No. 2 Michigan last month. Recently, the N.C. State has played well in quality wins over Connecticut and Stanford, and it appears to be jiving more as a unit.
A showdown with top-ranked Duke on Jan. 12 at home will be a telling tilt for the 'Pack.
@Dirtybit__ asked, "Which team matches up best with Duke? #AskChron"
TC: As touched on in the first question, N.C. State has the size at all positions to match up very well with Duke defensively. Maryland, however, also provides challenging one-on-one match ups with 7-footer Alex Len—a potential NBA lottery pick next summer—and athletic wings Dez Wells and Nick Faust, who are NBA-caliber athletes. Len, a polished low-block scorer with terrific length and size, will likely be Duke big man Mason Plumlee's toughest one-on-one assignment of the year.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.